Life-saving device



R. J. KEE

LIFE sAvING yDEVICE Filed March 19. 1923 2 SheetsSheet 1 R. J. KEE

LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed rch 19. 1923 July 8 92@ 1,500,823

2 Shaw-Sheet 2 www@ Patented July 8, i924,

UTEE STATES Nr OFFICE.

IlibOlER/l J'. KYLE, '0F OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

Application fined March 19, 1923. serial No'. 626,186.

TIO all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT JOHN KEE, subj ect ofthe King of Great Britain, residing at 300 Cooper Street, in the city of Ottawa, county of lCarleton, Province of Ontario, in the Dominion oi Canada, have invented a Life-Saving Device, of which the following is a specification.

.My Ainvention relates 1 to a life saving device and Ais primarily intended for the use ot those at fsea, andphas for its object to provide 'an improved suit enclosing `the body entirely and made buoyant "by tubular chambers `filled with kap'ok arranged vertically around the .body and helmet. l

It has 'been proposed to V'form a suit of i lthis kind `comprisingK fa. jacket, Ipantalo'ons, helmet, sleeves, gloves and boots; and to line the interior of the Ysame with wool or other lheat retaining material, 'while the body and helmet `portions are made `buoyant by vertical tubes 'of kapok. The leg portions are each separately inflatable by meansof pipes through which air is blown through the mouth ot the occupant.V The helmet is provided in the front with an air inlet and exit for breathing and ventilation, withV l ysists essentially in the particular construction, combination and arrangements ,of the parts hereinafter 'fully described), I sub1 divide the body and helmet portions into a number off tubes `or chambers distended with tlia-poli, and the leg portions into a number of communicating tubes distended with air. The outer coveringinaterial is india rubber covered byA vcloth on either side and theV -whole is lined on the inside with wool or `ether `warm material. y

The `number of tubes "forming the body oit' the suit would preferably be twelve, four disposed Lat the front and "back,A respectively, "and two a-t each of the sides, these; tubes filled Iwith lkalpol or some other light nonhelmet is cut away at the iront opposite the face and furnished with an arched or outwardly convexedirame of aluminum or other light material, and provided with ,a

window of plate glass tor each eye. There isan air conduit or `channel from side to side of the helmet consisting of a breather made of aluminum or hard rubber, or other light material, the basis of which is two .telescopic tubes, the outer one extending ininner tube and thus approximating thev opening.

Each leg portion consists ot a single .pneumatic structure formed with 'tubular :cham- 'bers and is provided with a small air pipe or tube kfor each leg extending interiorly into the helmet, by means of which this leg portion may be inflated by the lungs while in the water.

The opening for enabling they suit to be put on and oli is situated in front of the shoulders and is furnished with 1a steel clamp which is closed from within the suit. This closure is reinjtorced `from the inside by a waterproof tongue or apron. The body .portion is slitted between the side'tubes and provided with` semi-dolman sleeves to 'enable the wearer'to withdraw .the arms .and use them inside the suit.

ln the 'accompanying drawings Fig. (l) is a front 'elevation ci the lite. saving device. Fig. (2) is vafrear elevation :of the same. Fig. (3) is a cross section through the bodyc't' Fig. (l) drawn to a larger scale. Fig. ,is la perspective view of the suit enclosing the` occupant ready 'for v'the water. Fig. (5) is a perspective view of .the same with the arms indraivn as may be .done by t-he occupant when in the suitrFig. (-6) is a clamp drawn to a larger scale .used to close the outside of the entrance 4in liront of the shoulders. Fig. (7) `shows this clamp open .in one-half wits length. Fig. '(8) shows theclamp completely open. Fig. (.9.) .is ,1an elevation of the breather. Fig. (.10) xis an end view of the breather with the lid open. Fig. (11) is the brace used to convex the front of the helmet. Fig'. (12) is an aluminum funnel shaped vessel used inside the rubber excretion apparatus for the purpose of distending the same, and carried inside thesuit.

The complete garment provided in 'accordance with this invention and as depictf,

f in front of the'shoulders for entering and emerging from the suit.fThis opening is closed by bringing the edges together and securing them by a steel clamp, and the closure is reinforced by a waterproof tongue or apron c shown inside. Figs. (6, 8) reprey sent the steel clamp used in closing this entrance or aperture. rlhis clamp is semi-elliptical in shape, and extends directly across the suit in front of the shoulders. It is divided into sections of seven inches each a2,

which are connected or joined by hinges opening in one direction only, b2 and c2. Thek hinge b2. opens in the opposite direction to thehinge c2.. The clamp is closedr at either end by a hinge 032,'which allows a. separation of one-quarter of an inch. It is held closed in each section by a clasp c2 which is closed from the inside by the occupant after entering the suit, and it is lined with suitable krubber packing yinorder to shutout water.

This clamp may beopened, if desired` in one v'half only to pass the hands in and out of the snit., The bodyportion A is suitably slitted Vat the sides for the attachment thereto of sleeves B of the semi-dolman type from which vthe wearer is enabled to withdraw the arms easilywhen desired, and use them inside the suit. yThe sleeves B arenot provided Vwith chambers but merely consist of watertight casings and terminate in the gloves C for' other light material, Fig.

integral with said casings.

'Ihe helmet covering D is at the back formed integral with or attached to the body portion ofthe suit. It has a series of vertical tubular chambers surrounding the sides, back and top distended with kapok.

yThe helmet D is cut away at the frontropposite the face and distended with an archedY or outwardly convexed frame of aluminum (4) also see Fig. (ll), and is provided with a window or y j plate glass for each eyek Fig. (4). Opposite the mouth and nostrils, extending from y side to side through the helmet, is the breather c, Fig. (el), represented in elevation n Fig. (9). kThis breather, Fig. (9) is composed of two telescopic tubesof aluminum or other light material, two inches in diameter and eight to ten inches in length. The

'Winner tube a', Fig. extendsfrom side to 'sideythrough the helmet and 'contains one side opening only within the helmet. The

outer tube Z2 forms a cuff or sleeve entirely f formed, I declare that what I within the helmet and revolves on the inner tube at the will of the occupant of the suit. It contains two side openings to correspond with the opening on the inner tube. One of these openings c is covered with wiregauze (100 meshes to the sq. in.), so that by .ap

proximating the openings on the outer sleeve to correspond with the opening on the inner sleeve, a complete opening, or an opening covered by wire gauze, or a complete closure may be attained. There are two flanges d and e on either end of the inner tube, the inner flange d" stationary and the outer flange e screwed on in order to clamp between the two flanges the rubber material f. of the helmet and in this way make it watertight. The inner tube extends a short distance outside the helmet at either end and the open end of this tube is closed by an automatic spring lid g. The automatic lid g vis kept open byV a spring h and when pressure from a wave closes this lid it is immediately re-opened on hinge z". Fig. shows an end view of this automatic spring lid g on hinge i with a small stud y" for closing with elastic band when packed.

Each leg portion E consists of a single pneumatic st-ructure separate for each leg with boots F integral therewith formed with tubular chambers. These chambers are connected with each other so 'that each leg may be inflated by the lungs through the air pipe which extends through the body portion into the helmet, as shown by dotted lines Fig. (l).

In Figs. (l and 2) e indicates a signal flag which may be worn on the top of the helmet to attract the attention of passing vessels.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be per claim is:

l. A head covering arched in front in shape in a forward direction from the face of the occupant, and containing a Vglazed opening of plate glass for each eye, and having for means of ventilation two vtelescopic tubes extending through the arched front of the head covering from side to side opposite the mouth and nostrils of the occupant, and containing automatic spring endsoutside the head covering and one side opening in the inner tube and two side openings in the outer tube inside the head covering, one of these side openings of the outer tube further protected by a wire gauze which admits air but not water, and the openings on the outer tube are approximated to the opening on the inner tube by revolving the outer tube on the inner tube at the will of the occupant.

2. A complete combination garment throughout covering the entire body, in which an entrance in front of the shoulders is arranged through an aperture secured by a hinged rubber faced clamp, semi-elliptical in shape when closed and quadrangular When open; this clamp being closed fromthe inside by the occupant and secured in this position by means of steel clasps; a belt shaped Waterproof tongue of elastic rubber material completely surrounding and with onev edge attached, from Within, to the edges of the aperture and secured by the clamp.

signed at ottawa this 29th day of February i924.

R. J. KEE. 

